About the Contest
The Minoru Yasui Student Contest for middle and high school students is an art contest for youth in grades 6th – 12th. Students can express their thoughts about the prompt in a visual art piece and artist's statement. Technical arts background not required.
Prompt
The Power of Words
Words contain power. Words can inspire change, motivate people to action, and influence emotions. Minoru Yasui used his voice to make a difference. Select a specific quote from Minoru Yasui that you find impactful. Create a piece of visual art that brings your selected quote to life. Then,using your own powerful words, write an artist statement describing your piece and telling why that quote resonated with you.
Submission form coming soon!
Image of Min courtesy of Lam Pham, 2026 MYSC Contestant
“If we believe in America, if we believe in equity and democracy, if we believe in law and justice, then each of us, when we see or believe that errors are being made, has an obligation to make every effort to
correct them.”
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— Minoru Yasui (1916 - 1986)
Contest Support Resources
Developed by our MYLP Student Contest Education Committee, below are some optional resources for youth, parents, teachers, and educators to help youth create their art piece and artist statement. These optional resources were developed to expand in-classroom, at-home, and/or self-guided learning.
Presented By
Organized by the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project in collaboration with the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, the Minoru Yasui Student Contest offers middle and high school students the opportunity to explore societal topics in connection with the legacy of Minoru Yasui, the only Oregonian to have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and who fought courageously to defend human and civil rights—and justice for all—throughout his life.​
